Bundaberg – weekly fishing report

Inshore/Offshore fishing

The inshore reefs have been producing some very nice fish! The spanish mackerel, snapper and grunter have definitely been the standout fish with plenty of these on the chew. The spanish mackerel have been smashing slowly trolled gar rigged on a set of gang hooks and live baits set under a float while anchored. fishing

 

The snapper and grunter have been taking a liking to 20g soft vibes and 5” soft plastic’s worked off the bottom. These fish have been hanging around the big schools of bait so using your sounder to locate the bait will put you in with a good shot at these snapper and grunter. If you’re more into bait fishing try using squid, prawns or pilchards as these have been getting the bite as well. Remember it is best to be targeting these fish either in the early mornings or late afternoons because they are the best bite times. Fingers crossed the weather plays the game for this weekend!

 

The offshore fishing last weekend was red hot! Plenty of trophy sized coral trout and red emperor were caught. The standout techniques for the trout were using prawn imitation lures worked off the bottom and lightly weighting pilchards sent to the bottom in around 20 meters of water.

 

The reds were caught using big flesh baits and squid in around 40 meters of water. Isolated structures surrounded by sand usually hold good reds so keep an eye on the sounder whilst travelling for any small pinnacles. Always remember to make the most out of the tide changes, that one hour either side of the tide can be the game changer for the day.

Burnett River

The cooler weather we have had has definitely brought the water temp in the Burnett down and the blue salmon are starting to school up in good numbers. This week has seen the good numbers of salmon found at the Port and along Fairymead. These fish are extremely bait orientated so find the big schools of bait and these salmon shouldn’t be far away.

Hopping some soft vibes along the bottom and working them back to the boat with the current has got the bites. The sand flats around Kirby’s wall have fished great for flathead, bream and grunter this week. Floating out some yabbies or whole sprat have been the baits getting the bites. Hopping some soft plastics along the flats and drop offs has also picked up some quality fish with a few queenfish in the shallows feeding.

Elliott River

The Elliott is still producing some quality fish whilst the flats fishing has been on! Most of the species caught have been found in the shallow water or drop offs and have been on the chew. The flathead and grunter have been up in the shallows during the incoming tide and on the run out tide they have been along the drop offs. Throwing some whole sprat or small strips of mullet fillets onto the sand flats or along the drop offs has picked up some quality fish.

Around the mouth of the river has seen some solid dart caught as well as queenfish and trevally. The deeper holes up the river have seen good numbers of fish schooled up with grunter, trevally and some blue salmon being caught. Small soft vibes hopped through the holes has got the bites.

Baffle Creek

The Baffle is having a ripper few weeks of fishing and crabbing and although the water temp is cooling down some of the summer species are still on the chew. Cod and jack are being caught in this system around heavy structures like rock bars or big fallen trees. Live baits have been a little slow so the go to baits have been big flesh baits like mullet fillet or whole prawns. Using a lighter leader and sinker to get the bait to look more natural has been the key to getting the bites.

The flats fishing in this river has been up there with some of the best it has been all year. Flathead, grunter, bream, queenfish and trevally are all being caught in the shallows feeding on bait and yabbies. If you are fishing the run in tide be sure to be casting lures or bait right into the shallows, if you are fishing the run out fish the slightly deeper edges or drop offs. The crabs have been up the creeks, those who are able to get right up the back have pulled some solid bucks when using plenty of bait in the pots!

 

Kolan River

The mouth of the Kolan River is fishing really well at the moment! Queenfish around the 50 to 80cm mark have been in big schools and have smashed a whole sprat floated out past some structure or along the sand flats! Some big flathead averaging 60cm have also been around and feeding on the shallow flats or the drop offs during the run out tide.

Small hardbody lures either trolled or cast have been doing the damage. The shallow sand banks up river has seen some good numbers of whiting and bream being caught, fresh yabbies have been the go to bait and fishing during the incoming tide for these fish has worked best. The crabs have also been on the move with once again placing your pots along the mangrove lined banks and up the skinny creeks being the go to places.

Local Beaches

The fishing off our beaches has been firing up and with a few decent weather opportunities we have seen plenty of people head out along our coast. Fishing the beaches on the run out tide has been the go to, finding gutters in close has been where most of the fish are being caught.

Some solid whiting, bream and dart are being caught on fresh yabbies when rigged on a running ball sinker rig. Flesh baits like mullet fillets or whole prawns have got the flathead and grunter to bite. Throwing out a metal lure into the white water has picked up a few trevally, queenfish and tailor as well.

Lake Monduran

This week has again been a tough bite for Lake Monduran with anglers having to work hard for each opportunity. The early morning and late afternoon bite times have been consistent with some of the bigger barra landed during these bite windows. Keep and eye on the Kolan River tide times because the change in tide is often a cracking little opportunity to nail a few barra in the dam.

Samaki Redic DS80’s twitched slowly with long pauses in between has been getting the bite. During the middle of the day the rat barra have been tucked right in close to the banks especially those with plenty of shade from overhanging trees or lily pads. Working your lure through the gaps in the lily pads has managed to get a few barra around the 60cm mark to chew during the middle of the day.

Lake Gregory

Lake Gregory’s fishing is on fire at the moment! Plenty of bass getting close to the 50cm mark are being caught all over the dam. These fish are on the chew and with the amount of bait currently in the lake they definitely aren’t slowing down as of yet. Twitching hardbody lures along the deeper edges of the dam has worked great however those with a sounder have managed to find big schools of fish throughout the dam.

If you find a good school of bass try hopping a small vibe through the school or slow rolling a paddle tail soft plastic. Mix it up until you get the bite then you can slay a few fish in no time at all! Some saratoga have presented themselves this week with a few smaller models being caught. Topwater lures early in the morning or late in the afternoon have got a few of these fish to have a look, although being hard to keep the hooks in them due to their bony mouth.

 

CATCH OF THE WEEK

 

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From the team at Tackle World Bundaberg
Live the Tackle World L.I.F.E – Local Independent Fishing Experts

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